Montgomery County’s Thanksgiving Parade: What To Know If You Go

SILVER SPRING, MD — From ginormous inflatable turkeys and penguins, festive floats, marching bands, to dancing groups, and Santa and his elves, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is held each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

It returns at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, in downtown Silver Spring, and is the only Thanksgiving Parade in the D.C. metro.

The parade steps off from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and proceeds south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue.

The initial performances are scheduled to take place at the start of the parade, where WJLA-TV’s meteorologist and Good Morning Washington host Eileen Whelan will serve as the emcee.

“The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade marks the start of the holiday season in Montgomery County and the broader DMV region,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “It is a great event that brings the community together for a day of celebration. I encourage everyone to join in the festivities, consider volunteering to participate in parade-related activities and support our business community in Downtown Silver Spring.”

The parade will feature more than 100 units, highlighted by high school and college marching bands and drum lines, captivating floats, lively dance troupes, beauty queens, fire trucks and groups showcasing talented dogs and rescue animals.

The event kicks off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by County Executive Elrich, followed by a marching band performance. The parade will then feature units celebrating harvest and Thanksgiving themes, live performances by cultural dance groups including the Maryland Youth Ballet, Hanukah inflatables and Santa’s festive float playing holiday music as the grand finale.

The parade will be held rain or shine.

For more information, visit https://www.silverspringdowntown.com/montgomery-county-thanksgiving-parade.

Register to Volunteer

The Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade organization is seeking volunteers — age 13 and older — to dress up in costume and ride on the floats, to act as unit leaders and to take the lead as inflatable and balloon handlers.

The hours for volunteers are 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on parade day, and volunteers are expected to be present for the duration of the event. The meeting point for volunteers is the Silver Spring Civic Building at One Veterans Place, located at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street. To register as a parade volunteer, visit https://www.silverspringdowntown.com/montgomery-county-thanksgiving-parade/Volunteering.

Parade Day Road Closures

The parade and festivities will require some road closures in the Downton Silver Spring area.

Northbound and southbound lanes of Georgia Avenue, from East-West Highway to Colesville Road, will close at 6 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, and re-open at the conclusion of the parade (about 1 p.m.). Traffic should detour to East-West Highway.

Free parking will be available in public garages including the Sligo Avenue Garage, the Cameron Street Garage and the Bonifant Street Garage next to the Silver Spring Metrorail Station. The Ellsworth Street Garage is closed on parade day, starting at 2 a.m., to accommodate the parade organization.

Parade-goers are encouraged to take the Metro Red Line to the Silver Spring station, just west of Georgia Avenue.

The following roads will be closed from 6 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 (parking restrictions begin at 2 a.m.):

• Northbound and southbound Georgia Avenue between East-West Highway and Colesville Road.
• Cedar Street between Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue.
• Pershing Drive from Cedar Street to Veterans Place.
• Veterans Place from Pershing to Ellsworth Drive.
• Ellsworth Drive from Georgia Avenue to Cedar Street.
• Roeder Road from Fenton Street to Cedar Street.
• Fenton Street from Cameron Street to Wayne Avenue.
• Wayne Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street.
• Bonifant Street from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street.
• Thayer Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street.
• Silver Spring Avenue from Georgia Avenue to Fenton Street